Nordstrom

I have a basket that's the resting place of many direct mail pieces. There also are some old receipts, past issues of Readers' Digest and a good deal of catalogs there, too. I like to read catalogs at my leisure; it's recreational and relaxing. Some of them have sticky notes hanging off their pages marking things I want to buy. Other catalogs I keep because I like to look at them and get inspired with great ideas for our clients. Some catalogs are so well done I can't bear to throw them out. At Mason & Geller, we've been fortunate to do our

By Bob McKim Everyone is talking these days about how to know their customers better. They want to be like Nordstrom and have a personal relationship with each customer, one customer at a time. In the past, the thought of this would have driven IT professionals mad. Today, while it's still largely a dream, the ability to connect all databases in an enterprise to an organic and intuitive computer armed with the ability to deliver personalized marketing messages to individual customers at the exact right time is becoming more of a reality. Some transitions still need to take place and some

Customer service can make or break a company. What's the old saying, "Once bitten, twice shy"? Many customers simply won't give you a second chance if you screw up an order or don't treat them right in the first place. Provide them with the tender loving care they think they deserve, or they'll simply take their business elsewhere. That's the bad news. The good news is that the reverse is also true in many cases. Treat your customers well, and you'll have their business for life. So what does it mean to take good care of customers in the high-tech high-touch environment